Bottle closure



P. v. L. sALMlNEN BOTTLE cLosURE Filed Nov. 29, 1960 F IG .1.

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United States Patent Oiifice 3,116,846 BOTTLE CLSURE Paavo Viktor Ludvig Salrninen, Helsinki, Finlmd, as-

signor to Etablissement Pasinvest, Geneva, Switzerland,

a corporation of Switzerland Filed Nov. 29, 196i), Ser. No. 72,396 Claims priority, application Finland Dec. lll, 1959 Claims. (Cl. 21S-41) This invention relates to a bottle closure, more particularly to a bottle closure of the kind having an inner sleeve which enters the bottle neck and is of elasticallydeformable material and in its unstressed condition has an outer diameter greater than the inner diameter of the bottle neck for which it is intended, a cover portion which closes the interior of the inner sleeve and hence the bottle mouth opening, and an outwardly extending collar portion which is connected to the top part of the inner sleeve and is adapted to grip the bottle mouth.

Heretofore, bottle closures of the stated kind have had the disadvantage that they do not satisfactorily seal the bottle mouth resulting in loss of liquids or gases due to leakage. This poor sealing effect obtained on using the aforestated kind of prior art bottle closure is due partly to the poor design and construction of the bottle closure and inner sleeve so that the same when compressed into the bottle neck will not press evenly and tightly against the inner surface of the bottle neck, partly to the use of unsuitable materials for the manufacture of the bottle closure.

This invention eliminates the aforementioned disadvantages by the provision of an absolutely tight bottle closure.

The bottle closure of the invention is chielly characterized by a massive annular reinforcement on the upper end of the inner sleeve, an annular reinforcement on the lower end of the inner sleeve, and in that the inner sleeve is so constructed that sleeve material will move to the lower end of said sleeve when the closure is being removed from the mold.

The inner sleeve is advantageously made so that a tapering annular wall portion connects the inner sleeve to at least one of the two annular reinforcements.

Moreover, it is advantageous to provide axially parallel internal stiening ribs in the closure, especially in the inner sleeve portion thereof.

The bottle closure of the invention will hereinafter be described with reference to the accompanying drawing wherein FIG. 1 is a fragmentary cross sectional view of the closure of the invention, the dash lines designating that portion of the inner sleeve as in the mold during the manufacturing phase of the closure, and

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view of the closure of the invention in operative position on a bottle.

In the drawing, the numeral 1 designates generally the inner sleeve adapted to press against the inner or internal surface of the bottle neck. At 2 is indicated the cover portion joined to the inner side of the sleeve l which thus becomes a closed, holeless unit; at 3, 6 is indicated the collar portion of the closure which grips the bottle mouth. It will be seen from the drawing that at the top axial end of the sleeve is provided a continuous annular reinforcement 6 which advantageously is connected to the said sleeve by means of a tapering annular wall member or diaphragm 6 to provide requisite resiliency between the annular reinforcement 6 and the inner sleeve l. Also a second annular reinforcement or rim of the cover portion, indicated in the drawing at 4, is connected to the lower axial end of the sleeve. Also this second reinforcement is connected to the sleeve advantageously by means llflb Patented dan. 7, ld@

0f a tapering annular wall portion or diaphragm 5, the order of mechanical initial pressure with which the inner sleeve will press against the inner surface oi the bottle neck as also the material liuxion amount on removing the closure from the mold being determined by the thickness and length of the said wall portions. Thus the closure is so shaped relative to the mold that when the closure while still suitably warm, advantageously at a temperature of about 60-70 C., is removed from the mold the closure raw-material from the outer part of the inner sleeve will partly move to the lower axial end of the inner sleeve (as viewed in the drawings) and/or to the thereto adjoining tapering wall portion.

When the raw-material thus moves, clod liuxes, there is obtained at that point whereto the raw-material has moved a softer elastic layer of matter which will-partly due to the rigid elasticity resulting from the closure construction, particularly from the annular reinforcements 6 and 4 and partly under the pressure exerted by the bottle on the closure in its operating position-conform tightly to the contours of the bottle neck. These luxed, moved raw-material portions of the closure are indicated in FG. 1 by dash-lines l and 5 to show how said portions are located in the closure prior to its removal from the mold which is effected by pulling the mold part in the direction indicated by arrow a. z

The sealing elect of the closure may be further increased by the following:

To give rigidity to the closure, the inner sleeve thereof may be made with stitlening ribs 8 which are preferably parallel to the axis of the sleeve. These ribs extend so that their terminal ends make contact with the annular reinforcements 4.- and 5. A downwardly projecting reinforcing ilange l may suitably be provided on the edge of the lower annular reinforcement d of the closure. For still further increasing the rigidity and strength of the closure, radial stifening ribs 4 may be provided on the inner side of the lastmentioned. The closure portion gripping the bottle mouth is advantageously provided with a bead 7 which closes in under an external lip on the outside of the bottle neck. The underside of the bead '7 is provided with sharp annular checking projections 9 which break on removing the bottle closure from the bottle so that it is possible to tind out whether or not the bottle has been opened after sealing. The bottle closure is made of plastic which essentially is impervious to carbon dioxide.

Thus the invention provides on the closure a layer of soft matter which tightly conforms to and presses against the bottle neck surface. Due to this layer of matter and the suitable design and construction of the closure (the annular reinforcements 4 and 5 and advantageously the stilening ribs S and 4 and the additional annular reinforcement 4') produce in the closure a substantial elastic rigidity which will press the same with appreciable force against the inner surface of the bottle neck. On the other hand, also the pressure within the bottle will on its part help the closure to elect a tight seal by tending to expand the annular internal surface of the cupped cover 2, and this being the case the said layer of soft matter will partly spread out and press tightly, evenly against largest possible area of the inner surface of the bottle neck. The greater the pressure within the bottle becomes, the more tightly will the inner sleeve press against the inner surface of the bottle neck. Tests made have shown that a bottle closure manufactured in the hereinabove described way truly has the property of effecting a very tight seal so that by using the closure, eg., carbonated beverages may be stored and kept for longer periods of time.

I claim:

l. A one-piece bottle closure of elastically deformable material comprising, in combination, a substantially cylindrical inner sleeve adapted to be inserted in the neck of a bottle to bear against `the inner surface of the bottle neck, said inner sleeve having a lower `annular portion having in `unstressed condition a diameter greater' than the inner diameter of the bottle neck; a collar portion extending outwardly from the top end of said inner sleeve and adapted to seat on the bottle mouth; a cover portion extending transversely to and being surrounded with play by said inner sleeve, said cover portion having an outer reinforced rim portion integral with 4the remainder of said cover portion and located adjacent to and spaced inwardly from the bottom end of said inner sleeve; and an annular wall portion of weaker cross section than that of the bottom of said sleeve and said reinforced .rim portion of cover joining said bottom end to said rim portion for pressing the bottom end of said sleeve against the inner surface of the bottle neck, said annular wall portion being spaced inwardly from the inner surface of the bottle neck.

2. A bottle closure of elastically deformable material comprising, in combination, a substantially cylindrical inner sleeve adapted to be inserted in the neck of a bottle to bear against the inner surface of the bottle neck, said inner sleeve having a lower annular portion having in unstressed condition a diameter greater than the inner diameter of the bottle neck; a collar portion extending outwardly `"from the top end of said inner sleeve and adapted to seat on the bottle mouth and having a top portion of relative heavy cross section adapted to engage the top of the bottle neck and an outer rim portion adapted to encompass the outer surface of the bottle neck; a rst annular wall portion of relative weak cross section joining :said top portion of heavy cross section to the upper end of said inner sleeve; a cover portion extending transversely to said inner sleeve and having an outer reinforced rim portion integral with the remainder of said cover portion and located adjacent the bottom end of said inner sleeve; and a second annular wall portion of weaker cross section than that of the bottom of said sleeve and said reinforced rim portion of said cover joining said bottom end to said rim portion for pressing the bottom end of said sleeve against the inner surface of the bottle neck.

3. A bottle closure of elastically deformable material comprising, in combination, a substantially cylindrical inner sleeve adapted to be inserted in the neck of a bottle to bear against the inner surfa of the bottle neck, ysaid inner sleeve having a lower annular por-tion having in unstressed condition a diameter `greater than the inner diameter of the bottle neck; a collar portion extending outwardly from the top end of said inner sleeve and adapted to seat on the bottle mouth and having a top portion of relative heavy cross section adapted to engage the top of the bottle neck and an outer rim portion adapted to encompass the outer surface of the bottle neck, said outer rim portion having an inwardly bulging bead `at the lower free end thereof adapted to close in under a rim on the outside of the bottle neck, said bead having a bottom face yformed with a plurality of sharp annular ridges adapted to break on removing the bottle closure from the bottle neck; a rst annular wall portion of relative -weak cross section joining said top portion of heavy cross section to the upper end of said inner sleeve; a cover portion extending transversely to said inner sleeve and having an outer reinforced rim portion integral with the remainder of said cover portion and located adjacent the bottom end of said inner sleeve; and a second annular wall portion of weaker cross section than that of the bottom of said sleeve and said reinforced rim portion tof said cover joining said bottom end -to said rim portion for pressing the bottom end of said sleeve against the inner surface of the bottle neck,

4. A one-piece bottle clos. e of elastically deformable material comprising, in. combination, a substantially cylindrical inner sleeve adapted to be inserted in the neck of a bottle to bear against the inner surface of lthe bottle neck, said inner sleeve having a lower annular portion having in unstressed condition a diameter greater than the inner diameter of the bottle neck; `a plurality of stiffening ribs integral with said inner slee-vc and projecting angularly displaced from each other in radial direction from the inner surface of said sleeve; a collar portion extending outwardly from the top end of said inner sleeve and adapted to seat on the bottle mouth; a cover portion extending transversely tol and surrounded with play by said inner sleeve, said cover portion having an outer reinforced rim portion integral with the remainder of said cover portion and located adjacent to and spaced inwardly from the bottom end of said inner sleeve; and an annular wall portion of weaker cross section than that of the bottom of said sleeve and said reinforced rim portion of said cover joining said bottom end to said rim portion for pressing the bottom end of said sleeve against the inner surface of the bottle neck, said annular wall portion being spaced inwardly from the inner surface of the bottle neck.

5. A bottle closure of elastically deformable material comprising, in combination, a substantially cylindrical inner sleeve adapted to be inserted in the neck of a bottle to bear against the inner surface of the bottle neck, said inner sleeve having a lower annular portion having in unstressed condition a diameter greater than the inner diameter of the bottle neck, said inner sleeve having at least at the lower portion thereof an outer layer of soft resilient material; a collar portion extending outwardly from the top end of said inner sleeve and adapted to seat of the bottle mouth; ya cover portion extending transversely to said inner sleeve and having an outer reinforced rim portion integral `with the remainder of said cover portion and located adjacent the bottom end of said inner sleeve; and an annular wall portion of weaker cross section than that of the bottom of said sleeve and said reinforced rim portion of said cover joining said bottom end to said rim portion for pressing the bottom end of said Sleeve against the inner surface of the bottle neck.

6. An elastically deformable closure for open-ended containers, comprising a sleeve adapted to be inserted into the open end of a container and having in unstressed condition thereof an outer diameter which exceeds the internal diameter of the open end so that, upon introduction into the open end, the sleeve bears against the internal surface of the container; an outwardly extending collar integral with and located at one wiel end of said sleeve, said collar being arranged to engage the open end and to limit the extent to which the sleeve may enetrate into the container; a cover extending transversely of `and surrounded with play by said sleeve, said cover comprising a rim adjacent to and spaced inwardly from the other axial end of said sleeve; and an annular diaphragm of a thickness loss than the thickness of said sleeve 'and of said rim, said diaphragm forming an integral connection between said rim and said sleeve and being deformed by said sleeve in response to insertion of the sleeve into the open end so as to bias the sleeve against the internal surface of the container, said diaphragm being out of contact with the internal surface of the container.

7. An elastically deformable closure for open-ended containers, comprising a sleeve `adapted to be inserted into the open end of a container and having in unstressed condition thereof an outer diameter which cxceeds the internal diameter of the open end so that, upon introduction into the open end, the sleeve bears against the internal surface of the container; an outwardly extending collar having an annular reinforcing por-tion adjacent to 4one axial end of said sleeve, said collar being arranged to engage the open end of the container; an annular diaphragm of a thickness less than the thickness of said sleeve and said reinforcing portion, said diaphragm forming an integral connection between said sleeve and said reinforcing portion and together' with said cover limi-ting the extent to which the sleeve may penetrate into the container; a cover extending transversely of and surrounded by said sleeve, said cover comprising a rim adjacent to the other axial end of said sleeve; and a second annular diaphragm of a thickness less than the thickness of said sleeve and of said rim, said second diaphragm forming an integral connection between said rim and said sleeve and being deformed by said sleeve in response to insertion of the sleeve into the open end so as to bias Ithe sleeve against the internal surface of the container.

8. An elastically deformable closure for open-ended containers, comprising a sleeve adapted to be inserted into the open end of a container and having in unstressed condition thereof an outer diameter which exceeds the internal diameter of the open end so that, upon introduction into the open end, the sleeve bears against the internal surface of the container; an outwardly extending collar integral with and located at one axial end of said sleeve, said collar being arranged to engage the open end and to limit the extent to which the sleeve may penetrate into the container; a cover extending transversely of and ysurrounded by said sleeve, said cover comprising a .rim adjacent lto the other axial end of said sleeve, said rim having a side provided with lstiffening ribs; and an annular diaphragm of a thickness less than the thickness of said sleeve and of said rim, said diaphragm forming an integral connection between said rim and said sleeve and being deformed by said sleeve in response to insertion of the sleeve into the open end so as to bias the sleeve against the internal surface of the container.

9. An elastically deformable closure for open-ended containers of the type adapted to receive compressed fluids, comprising a sleeve adapted to be inserted into the open end of ya container and having in lunstressed condition t-hereof an outer diameter which exceeds t-he internal diameter of the open end so that, upon introduction into the open end, the sleeve bears against the internal surface of the container; an outwardly extending collar integral with and located at one axial end of said sleeve, said collar being arranged to engage the open end and to limit the extent to which the sleeve may penetrate into the container; a cupped cover extending transversely of and surrounded with play by said sleeve, said cover comprising a rim adjacent to and spaced inwardly from the other axial end of said sleeve and said cover having an annular inter-nal surface which -tends to expand in response to fluid pressure prevailing in the container and to thereby expand said rim; and an -annular diaphragm of a thickness less than the thickness of said sleeve and of said rim, said diaphragm forming an integral conneotion between said rim and said sleeve and being deformed by said sleeve in response to insertion of the sleeve into the open end so as to bias the sleeve against the internal surface of the container, said diaphragm being out of contact with the internal surface of the container.

10. An elastically deformable closure for open-ended containers, comprising a sleeve adapted to be inserted into the open end of a container and having in unstressed condition thereof an outer diameter which exceeds the internal diameter of the open end so that, upon introduction into the open end, the sleeve bears against the internal surface of the container; an outwardly extending collar integral with and located at that axial end of said sleeve which is lthe outer end when the sleeve is introduced into the con-tainer, said collar being arranged to engage the open end and to limit the extent toy which the sleeve may penetrate into the container; a cover extending transversely of and surrounded with play by said sleeve, said cover comprising a rim `adjacent to and spaced inwardly from that `axial end of the sleeve which is the inner end when the sleeve is introduced into the container; and an annular diaphragm of a thickness less than the thickness of said sleeve and of said rim, said diaphragm forming an integral connection between said rim and said sleeve and being deformed by said sleeve in response to insertion of Ithe slee-ve into the open end so as yto bias the sleeve against the internal surface of the container, said diaphragm being out of contact with the internal surface of the container.

11. As a novel article of manufacture, a one-piece closure for open-ended containers, said closure consisting of elastically deformable synthetic plastic material and comprising a sleeve adapted to be inserted into the open end of a container and having in unstressed condition thereof an outer diameter which exceeds the internal diameter of the open end so that, upon introduction into the open end, the sleeve bears against the internal surface of the container; an outwardly extending collar integral with and located at one axial end of said sleeve, said collar being arranged to engage the open end and to limit the extent to which the sleeve may penetrate into the container; a cover extending transversely of and surrounded with play by said sleeve, said cover comprising a rim adjacent to and spaced inwardly from the other axial end of said sleeve; and an annular diaphragm of a thickness less than the thickness of said sleeve and of said rim, said diaphragm forming an integral connection between said rim and said sleeve and being deformed by said sleeve in response to insertion of the sleeve into the open end so as to bias the sleeve against the internal surface of the container, said diaphragm being .out of contact with the internal surface of the container.

12. A closure as set forth in claim 11, wherein said sleeve comprises substantially axially parallel internal stitfening ribs and wherein said rim comprises substantially radially extend-ing internal stiffening ribs.

13. In a one-piece closure of elastically deformable material, in combination, a sleeve adapted to be inserted into the open end of a container, Said sleeve having an axial end which is the inner end thereof when the sleeve is introduced into the container and the outer diameter of said sleeve in unstressed condition thereof exceeding the internal diameter of the open end so that, upon introduotion into the open end, the sleeve bears against the internal surface of the container; a cover extending transversely of yand surrounded with play by said sleeve, said cover comprising an annular rim which is adjacent to and which is spaced inwardly from said axial end of the sleeve; and an -annular diaphragm forming an integral connection between said sleeve and said rim, the thickness of said diaphragm being less than the thickness of said rim and of said sleeve and said diaphragm being deformed in response to introduction of said sleeve into the open end so `as to bias said sleeve into sealing engagement \with the internal surface of the container, said diaphragm being out of Contact with the internal surface of the container.

14. A combination as set forth in claim 13, wherein said sleeve has an outer zone which is softer than the remainder thereof.

15. A combination as sset forth in claim 13, wherein said sleeve is of substantially trapeziform cross section and wherein the thickness of said sleeve diminishes in directions from the outer toward both axial ends thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,887,240 Denssen May 19, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 878,606 Germany Iune 5, 1953 1,091,781 France Nov. 3, 1954 531,664 Canada Oct. 16, 1956 

1. A ONE-PIECE BOTTLE CLOSURE OF ELASTICALLY DEFORMABLE MATERIAL COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A SUBSTANTIALLY CYLINDRICAL INNER SLEEVE ADAPTED TO BE INSERTED IN THE NECK OF A BOTTLE TO BEAR AGAINST THE INNER SURFACE OF THE BOTTLE NECK, SAID INNER SLEEVE HAVING A LOWER ANNULAR PORTION HAVING IN UNSTRESSED CONDITION A DIAMETER GREATER THAN THE INNER DIAMETER OF THE BOTTLE NECKF A COLLAR PORTION EXTENDING OUTWARDLY FROM THE TOP END OF SAID INNER SLEEVE AND ADAPTED TO SEAT ON THE BOTTLE MOUTH; A COVER PORTION EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY TO AND BEING SURROUNDED WITH PLAY BY SAID INNER SLEEVE, SAID COVER PORTION HAVING AN OUTER REINFORCED RIM PORTION INTERGRAL WITH THE REMAINDER OF SAID COVER PORTION AND LOCATED ADAJCENT TO AND SPACED INWARDLY FROM THE BOTTOM END OF SAID INNER SLEEVE; AND AN ANNULAR WALL PORTION OF WEAKER CROSS SECTION THAN THAT OF THE BOTTOM OF SAID SLEEVE AND SAID REINFORCED RIM PORTION OF SAID COVER JOINING SAID BOTTOM END TO SAID RIM PORTION FOR PRESSING THE BOTTOM END OF SAID SLEEVE AGAINST THE INNER SURFACE OF THE BOTTLE NECK, SAID ANNULAR WALL PORTION BEING SPACED INWARDLY FROM THE INNER SURFACE OF THE BOTTLE NECK. 